HTX-252 2-Meter Amateur FM Mobile Transceiver
(190-1127) Operation Faxback Doc. # 60180
A Quick Look At The Controls
Most of the controls on the transceiver have multiple functions. The
following charts should help you get a better idea of the function of each
control.
Base Unit
Key/Control Use it to: Use with the F + Key to:
OFF/VOL Turn the transceiver on/off. Reset the transceiver.
Adjust the volume.
SQ Set the squelch level to block N/A
weak signals.
REV Reverse the repeater offset. N/A
VFO (T-SQ) Set the transceiver to VFO Set the tone squelch.
mode.
MR (MS) Recall a frequency in memory. Store a frequency in
memory.
Tuning Control Change the frequency by the Change the frequency by
set STEP value. 1 MHz steps.
Push to Talk Transmit by holding it down. Change the transmitting
(PTT) Press to store a setting. power to high or low.
UP Increase the frequency by the Increase the frequency in
selected step value. 1 MHz steps.
DN Decrease the frequency by the Decrease the frequency by
selected step value. 1 MHz steps.
F (MHz) Temporarily open the squelch. N/A
CALL (STEP) Recall the calling frequency Set the frequency step.
memory.
SCAN (PRI) Start and stop scanning. Set the transceiver to
dual watch mode.
LOCK (SHIFT) Lock and unlock the controls Set the repeater offset.
except PTT, F, VOL, and SQ.
Alpha-Numeric Enter numerical values and N/A
Keys DTMF control letters.
DTMF Switch to DTMF control. N/A
A Quick Look At The Display
1. (FUNC) - appears when F key is pressed.
2. (key symbol) - indicates the keypad is locked.
3. (-) - indicates a negative repeater offset.
4. (+) - indicates a positive repeater offset.
5. (SCAN) - appears when the transceiver is scanning frequencies.
6. (PRI) - indicates a priority frequency.
7. (T) - appears when Tone Squelch (CTCSS) is enabled for both
transmission and reception.
8. (T-SQ) - appears when Tone Squelch (CTCSS) is enabled for both
transmission and reception.
9. (Alpha-Numeric Display) - shows frequency and operation feature
information.
10. (TX) - appears when the transceiver is transmitting.
11. (0-9) - shows the memory channel in use.
12. (BUSY) - appears when the transceiver receives a signal.
13. ([1][][3][][5][][7][][9][]) - indicates signal strength; the stronger
the signal, the more boxes appear.
14. (ME) - appears when the frequencies and other station data are being
stored or while scanning data in memory locations.
Note: When you reset the transceiver, all display elements appear. See
"Resetting the Transceiver" in Faxback Doc. # 60183.
Operation
Turning The Transceiver On And Off
To turn on the transceiver, rotate VOL clockwise until it clicks. The last
used frequency and other settings appear (the default frequency is 142.50
MHz, with a frequency step of 5 kHz/.005 MHz. To turn the transceiver off,
rotate VOL counterclockwise until it clicks.
Selecting Frequencies
To select a frequency in the VFO (variable frequency oscillator) mode, use
either UP or DN on the top of the microphone or the tuning control.
Using either method lets you step up or down in increments which you set
using the Frequency Step option. (See "Setting the Frequency Step" in
Faxback Doc. # 60181.)
Rotating the tuning control changes the frequency by the value of the step
you set. You might want to set your preference for the step value before
you make other settings. Repeatedly pressing (or holding down) UP or DN
also changes the frequency by the step value. To change the frequency by
1 MHz steps, press F so [FUNC] appears. Then repeatedly press or hold down
UP or DN.
The displayed frequency is typically shown to two significant decimal
places. However, depending upon the selected frequency step, you might
see a smaller number displayed to the right of the second place. For
example, 142.50(sub 75) lets you see the complete frequency in use if you
select 12.5 kHz as your frequency step.
Receiving Transmissions
Follow these steps to receive standard transmissions.
1. With the transceiver on, rotate SQ counterclockwise until you hear a
hissing sound. Then slowly rotate SQ clockwise just until the noise
stops.
Notes: BUSY appears when the transceiver receives a standard
transmission or if the squelch is open.
If the transceiver picks up unwanted and weak transmissions,
rotate SQ clockwise to prevent the squelch from opening for
these transmissions. If you want to hear weak transmissions,
rotate SQ counterclockwise. When you do this, you might hear
hissing between transmissions.
2. Rotate the tuning control to select a frequency.
3. Set VOL to a comfortable listening level.
Transmitting
There are two basic types of communication possible with this transceiver;
radio-direct-to-radio (simplex) or radio-to-repeater-to radio (duplex).
Simplex operation uses the same frequency to send and receive. Duplex
operation uses one frequency to transmit and another to receive. For more
information about duplex, see "Understanding Repeaters" below.
CAUTION: It is illegal to transmit if you do not have at least a
Technician Class license issued by the FCC.
Follow these steps to transmit.
1. Select the desired frequency using control or UP/DN until you are
within the transmit frequency range.
2. Hold the microphone about 3 inches from your mouth.
3. Hold down the ribbed transmit button on the side of the microphone,
then speak slowly and clearly into the microphones. (TX) appears while
you transmit and signal strength bars appear on the bottom to indicate
the relative transmitting signal output.
Note: If you try to transmit outside the transit frequency range, (E)
appears instead of (TX) to indicate you are outside the
transmitting range.
4. Release the transmit button when you finish transmitting.
Understanding Repeaters
Operating through a repeater, where you transmit on one frequency and
receive on another, is called duplex operation. Operating direct to
another station, where you transmit and receive on the same frequency is
called simplex operation.
A repeater is a station that receives a signal on one frequency (the input
frequency) and then retransmits that signal on a different frequency (the
output frequency). Repeater antennas are typically located at the tops of
tall buildings or on antenna towers, so a relatively low-power signal can
reach the repeater. The repeater retransmits the signal at a higher power.
This gives your transceiver the ability to communicate over a much greater
range.
To use a repeater, you must know the repeater's input and output
frequencies. Repeaters are usually identified by their output frequency.
For example, a repeater that has an output frequency of 146.94 is referred
to as "the 146.94 repeater." To determine the input frequency, you must
know the frequency offset (typically 600 kHz for the 2-meter band)and the
offset direction (+ if you add 600 kHz to the output, or - if you subtract
600 kHz from the output).
Whether the offset is positive or negative depends on:
Which part of the band the repeater operates on.
Local convention.
Proximity of repeaters using the same two frequencies.
To determine the offset and the direction, obtain a copy of The ARRL
Repeater Handbook (available at your local RadioShack store or directly
from the ARRL). That book lists the locations of repeaters as well as
their frequency and offset information.
A (+) above the displayed frequency indicates a positive offset, while a
(-) above the frequency indicates a negative offset. If neither (+) nor
(-) appears, the transceiver is set for simplex operation.
Setting The Repeater Offset Frequency
Note: This setting affects only the VFO mode. If you saved a repeater
offset in a memory, that setting is not affected.
1. Press F + SHIFT (LOCK). The offset frequency and (-) appear.
2. While the offset frequency appears, rotate the tuning control or
repeatedly press UP or DN until the desired offset appears. The
transceiver's default repeater offset is 600 kHz, which appears as
0.60 (MHz). You can select a value from 100 kHz to 8.000 MHz.
3. Press PTT to store the setting or wait 5 seconds. The selected value
is stored and the operating frequency appears.
Setting The Repeater Offset Direction
1. Set an offset frequency.
2. Repeatedly press F + SHIFT (LOCK) to change the current offset
direction ((+) above, (-) below or neither for simplex or non-repeater
operation).
3. Press PTT to store the setting or wait 5-seconds. The selected value
is stored and the operating frequency appears.
Reversing The Transmit And Receive Frequencies
To swap the input and output frequencies, press REV. For example, if you
have set the transceiver to repeater operation on 146.94 MHz with a
positive offset of 600 kHz, the transceiver would normally receive on
146.94 MHz and transmit on 147.54 MHz. After you press REV the transceiver
is set to receive on 147.54 MHz and transmit on 146.94 MHz.
This feature is useful if you want to determine whether you are close
enough to another station to communicate on a simplex frequency. While
the other station is transmitting, reverse the frequencies. If you can
still hear the other station, you are hearing their signal directly and
you do not need to use the repeater.
Memory Operation
Your transceiver has 10 standard memory locations that you can use to
store frequencies for quick access. You can also store other settings for
each memory location, such as the repeater offset and the CTCSS tones.
Storing A Transmit/Receive Frequency
1. Select the frequency you want to store by using the tuning control or
UP/DN.
2. If desired, select an offset frequency, offset direction, and CTCSS
frequency for the selected frequency (see "Setting the Repeater Offset
Frequency" above and "Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System Features"
in Faxback Doc. # 60181).
3. Press F + MS. A memory location appears and flashes if empty. To
select a different memory location, repeatedly press UP/DN or rotate
the tuning control.
4. Press MR. The transceiver stores the selected settings in the memory
location.
5. Press VFO to exit the memory mode.
Recalling Memories
1. Press MR so a memory location number appears.
2. Press UP or DN or rotate the tuning control to select the desired
memory location.
3. Press VFO to return to the VFO mode.
Using The Calling-Frequency Memory
The calling-frequency memory location lets you quickly jump to a specific
programmed frequency at any time. The default calling frequency is 146.52
MHz. You can store a different frequency into memory as well as other
settings associated with that frequency, such as the repeater offset and
CTCSS tone.
1. Select the desired calling frequency using UP/DN or the tuning control
2. Press F + MR (MS). A memory location and ME appear.
3. Rotate the tuning control or repeatedly press UP or DN until C appears
in the memory location area on the display.
4. Press MR (MS). C flashes.
5. Press MR (MS) again to store the selected frequency.
6. Press VFO (T-SQ) to return to the VFO mode.
To enable the calling frequency, press CALL at any time. The transceiver
immediately tunes to that frequency with the settings you programmed. To
exit the calling frequency mode, press VFO (T-SQ).
Scanning Operation
Scanning For Active Frequencies
1. To search for activity on a frequency, press SCAN (PRI). SCAN appears.
The transceiver begins to scan up or down the full frequency range.
The transceiver stops on each active frequency for 5 seconds if
squelch is on. If squelch is off, the transceiver stops on each
location for about 1 second.
2. To change the scanning direction, press UP or DN.
3. To stop on a frequency or to stop scanning completely, press SCAN
again.
Scanning Standard Memory Locations
1. Press MS (MR) then SCAN. The transceiver scans all memory locations
except empty locations.
2. To change the scanning direction, press UP or DN.
3. To stop scanning, press SCAN again.
(BR EB 6/14/00)
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